Belgium identifies Brussels station bomber

Belgian authorities on Wednesday identified the bomber killed by soldiers in a busy Brussels rail station as a 36-year-old Moroccan national.

The attacker shot dead at Brussels Central Station had a nail bomb that failed to detonate properly. Authorities reported no casualties, apart from the attacker who was killed in the confrontation.

Sky's Europe Correspondent Mark Stone, at the scene, said: "Authorities this morning are extremely relieved that soldiers managed to deal with what could have been a horrendous incident".

CBS News is reporting the Moroccan man was shot after he charged at the authorities following the failure of his bag - which reportedly contained nails - to completely explode.

In the immediate aftermath of the incident, the Brussels police confirmed that only one person had been involved.

Belgian Prime Minister Charles Michel, left, and Belgium's Minister for the Interior Jan Jambon address the media during a press conference at the prime ministers office in Brussels on Wednesday, June 21, 2017.

He then ran back up to the concourse where commuters had been milling around and rushed toward a soldier shouting "Allahu akbar" - God is greater, in Arabic.

Walking up to a group of passengers, prosecutor Eric Van Der Sypt said, "he grabbed his suitcase, while shouting and causing a partial explosion".

Nicolas Van Herrewegen, a railway sorting agent who was in the station as the incident unfolded, said: "I went down to the mezzanine level". Van der Sypt said the man did not have an explosive belt.

"I saw two policemen coming towards me and telling me in French to "get out, get out and go up the stairs", she told the Daily Record.

Jambon said the attack Tuesday evening could have been much worse because the "big explosion did not happen", adding more details about the device would be released shortly.

The Central Station is one of the busiest in the country and soldiers could be seen patrolling after the explosion.

Michel, who convened a National Security Council meeting for early on Wednesday, tweeted his thanks to the security forces and railway staff for their professionalism and courage. The suspected perpetrator was gunned down by soldiers nearly immediately after the explosion, ANP reports.

Belgium's Crisis Center, which monitors security threats in the country, said based on initial information it did not see a need to raise the country's terror threat to the highest level and kept it at the second-highest level.

RECCOMENDED STORIES

Some Facts on Being Successful Slide-Sharing Platform
You can view them, play around with them and then finally discover the right slides that best suit your needs. Once you have created this presentation, you are now able to share it back on our website presentationaly.

Brexit secretary 'not certain' of Brexit deal
In a direct message to Tory plotters, Davis said: "Stop being so self-indulgent, get on with the day job". Mr Johnson said this week he would not challenge Ms May for the leadership until Brexit is concluded.

UAE insists Qatar must shutdwon Al Jazeera
Turkey has continued to support Qatar throughout the boycott, sending troops to the country, and Iran has sent food supplies. Pro-Emirati ommentators had suggested Qatar would have to shut down the broadcaster in return for restoring Gulf ties.

Warmbier 'brutalized, terrorized' in N. Korea: father
The next day, Warmbier was flown to a US base in Japan before making the longer journey to OH to be reunited with his family. Cincinnati doctors say Warmbier suffered a severe neurological injury and is in stable condition.

Tips for Golf Championship
There are many obstacles on the field which make tournament not so easy to predict and so interesting at the same time. Apparently, it is his favorite place to be right now. - Jordan Spieth has a lot of free time since the last Masters.